Dad admits to endangering children by failing to secure loaded gun

By Sam WheelerMail Tribune

MailTribune.com

By Sam WheelerMail Tribune

Posted Aug. 15, 2014 at 6:40 PM

By Sam WheelerMail Tribune
Posted Aug. 15, 2014 at 6:40 PM

» Social News

The father of a 5-year-old Medford boy who was shot in the stomach March 1 after finding and handling his dad's unsecured and loaded black-powder gun pleaded guilty today to recklessly endangering his two young children and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The boy's father, 46-year-old Brian Wayne Green, was initially charged with two counts of third-degree assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, being a felon in possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm, a Jackson County Circuit Court indictment shows.

As a part of his plea agreement, the assault charges and the unlawful possession of a firearm charge were dropped, court records show.

He has not been sentenced.

The shooting occurred at the family's trailer home in the 800 block of W. Jackson St., as the boy's father slept, Medford police reported.

According to a police report, the boy found his father's loaded black-powder revolver in a cabinet. As the boy and his 8-year-old sister played with the gun, he tried to pull it away from his sister and it discharged, striking the boy in the abdomen.

The child underwent surgery at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and was later released.

Gun locks are available to the public for free at Medford City Hall, which receives a small number of locks through a donation from Project Child Safe, a national advocacy group promoting safe firearm handling and storage.

Reach reporter Sam Wheeler at 541-776-4471 or swheeler@mailtribune.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/swhlr.